Rationale:
Children need explicit, systematic phonics instruction in order to successfully
learn to read. It is important for children to understand that individual
phonemes in words can be 'mapped-out' into written words. It is important
to teach short vowels first because they are common. This can be done be
letter-box lessons, short letter books and repetition. This lesson with teach /i/=i.

Materials:

tongue twister poster (Silly Billy wished the pig would shrink.)

word poster (him, pick, wash, net, inch, hint, snip, print, split)

primary paper (one piece for each student)

pencil (one for each student)

Letter
boxes (The teacher and all students should have an Letter box with five boxes in
it.)

1. 'Today we’re going to learn about /i/. Can anyone think of a word
with /i/ in it? Good job! Everyone make the /i/ sound. We can
make /i/ when our mouths are open and our tongues are lowered.'

2. 'Now I want everyone to say icky sticky.' Can you hear /i/ in
icky sticky? Every time you hear /i/ in icky sticky, I want you to hold
that sound and make an icky sticky motion. The motion looks like you
have sticky glue on your fingers, and you can’t get it off. Let’s try it.
Iiicky Stiicky. Good job.'

3.
"I’m going to say some words, and you tell me which ones have /i/ in them.
Do you hear /i/ in big or bag...witch or watch...pick or pal…lift or loft?
Good job!

4. "Everyone look at this poster." (Read the tongue twister normally
to the children first. Silly Billy wished the pig would shrink.
Then, read it and hold the /i/ and make the icky sticky hand gesture every time
you say it in the tongue twister. Siiilly Biiilly wiiished the piiig would
shriiink.) "Now, I want all ofyou to say this crazy tongue twister just like I just did. Make
sure you make your icky sticky hand motion. Good job!"

5. Hand out Elkonin boxes and letterbox letter sets to each child.
Model how to make a word with a letterbox. ("Watch how I do this.
I’m going to spell the word 'stick.' There are three sounds in stick: /s/,
/t/, /i/, /ck/. I put the letter s in the first box because the first
sound is /s/. I put the letter t in the second box because the second
sound is /t/. I put the letter i in the third box because /i/ and then ck
in the last box to make the last sound in stick.")

6. Begin letterbox lesson. After you give each word that you want
the students to spell in their letterboxes, walk around and make sure that they
are getting the correct spelling. If they have spelled a word incorrectly,
say the word exactly as they have it spelled. Wait until every student has
correctly spelled each word before moving on to the next word. (3 phonemes:
him, pick, net, inch; 4 phonemes: hint, snip; 5 phonemes: print, split)

7. Take up Letter boxes and letters.

8. Hold up word poster. Ask students to read the words from the word
poster as you point to each word.

9. Pass out books. (Liz is
Six) Give booktalk. "Liz gets a mitt for her birthday.
She plays baseball with a pig. Imagine that! You’ll have to read the
book to hear all the baseball game."

10. Have students read the book with a partner. One partner reads
one page, and the other partner reads the next page, etc.

11. Take up all books.

12. Pass out primary paper and pencils.

13. "Now, you’re going to write a message. Here’s your topic:
What is your favorite meal? Make it detailed using words like sticky, and
filling. Start writing."

14. As students are writing their message, call one student at a time to
come and read pseudowords. Assess their understanding of /i/=i by counting
how many words they get correct. (sib, hin, pim, mik, bik, frip, slin)